Shingle



Aug. 1, 1939. L. KIRSCH'BRAUN SHINGLE Filed Sept. 3, 1957 ATTORNEY BY (tn/M4411- Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHINGLE Lester Kirschbraun, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Patent and Licensing Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 3, 1937, Serial No. 162,238

8 Claims.

. ous plastic mass than can be suitably shaped to the desired form under pressure.

Shingles have heretofore been prepared from plastic compositions of the described types, these compositions being particularly advantageous for such use, inasmuch as they may be molded into tapering elements with thick butts similar in form to the conventional wooden shingles. Also, the hardened plastic composition provides a relatively rigid and substantial shingle having good weather-resistant characteristics and presenting a pleasing appearance on the roof. The plastic -compositions are, however, relatively heavy and costly and accordingly the shingles heretofore prepared therefrom have for the most part been heavier and more expensive than is desired or necessary to provide a well constructed roof covermg. 1

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mastic shingle employing a hardened plastic composition of the type described above as its major constituent, which requires the use of a minimum quantity of the hardened plastic material while retaining the appearance and strength of mastic shingles of the previously constructed types. A further feature of the ininvention is the provision of a shingle of the mastic body type which will provide dead air spaces between overlapping shingles to impart to the roof-or side wall covering laid therefrom a substantial thermal insulating character.

The above stated objects are attained, according to the present invention, by providing a mastic shingle having a hardened plastic body portion in which there is formed a. plurality of- 1 grooves or channels running transversely of the shingle. The body of the shingle may be of uniform or tapering cross sectional thickness and is preferably the. latter. grooves successively diminish in-depth from those of a maximum depth adjacent the butt endof the shingle to those of a minimum depth adjacent the upper end of the shingle. A sheet of suitable weather-resistant material such as as- In the lattercase the a phalt saturated felt may be secured to one sur-,

face of the shingle to reinforce the shingle and give it sufficient strength to prevent distortion of the plastic body portion and to resist sloughing and pulling away of the plastic body from the nails when the shingle is applied on a roof and subjected to summer heat. The upper surface of the shingle may have a suitable weather-resistant covering thereon comprising, for example, an asphalt coating and a surfacing of a mineral grit such as crushed slate or the like partly embedded in the coating.

By constructing a mastic shingle with grooves in the undersurface of the plastic body portion thereof in the manner above briefly described, the amount of the plastic material necessary to produce the shingle of any given overall dimensions is substantially reduced and hence the cost and weight of such shingle is also reduced without, however, incurring any loss of the strength or weather-resistant characteristics of the shingle. dead air spaces between overlapping shingles which impart a substantial thermal insulating eifect to the roof or wall upon which they are laid.

The invention willbe morefully understood and further advantages and objects thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the,

detailed description which is to follow and the accompanying drawing in which-- Figure Us a perspective view of a'shingle embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the shingle of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a shingle of a slightly modified construction;

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating diagrammatically an apparatus which may be employed to form the shingles of my present invention; and

Figure 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating a modification of the apparatus'of Figure 4. V

Referring'to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, a shingle is illustrated embodying the preferred form of the invention. This shingle comprises a body portion ll! of a suitable hardened plastic material composed of a bituminous material, such as asphalt or like waterproofing substance, combined with hardening fillers, such as fibrous material and finely divided solids as, for example, clay, talc, crushed slate, slate dust, cork, cork dust etc. A con- Also, the grooves thus provided form venient source of raw material that may be em ployed to form such a composition resides in scrap roofing that accumulates in the manufacture of felted fibrous asphaltic prepared roofing. Since the latter is generally composed of asphalt constituting the waterproofing medium, fibrous material constituting the base, and mineral grit constituting the surfacing, scrap roofing of this nature in most instances is admirably suitedfor the purposes of this invention *but, if desired, -there may be combined therewith further quantities of asphalt and fillers to vary the composition and consistency of the mixtures for the formation of the plastic mass as required in actual practice.

The plastic body portion I0 is preferably tapered from a maximum thickness at the butt end of the shingle to a minimum thickness at or adjacent the opposite end thereof and is provided with a plurality of grooves extending transversely of the shingle, i. e. from side edge to side edge thereof. The grooves H are preferably formed so that successive grooves are of gradually diminishing depth as the upper end of the shingle is approached. That is. the grooves extending transversely of the shingle adjacent the butt edge thereof are of a maximum depth and subsequent grooves are of a lesser depth until grooves of a minimum depth are reached at a line spaced preferably a short distance from the upper end of the shingle. The diminution in the depths of the grooves is made comparable with the diminution in the thickness of the shingle whereby a line connecting the-bottoms of the grooves will be substantially parallel with the upper face of the shingle.

v A sheet I! of a suitable water-resistant reinforcing backing material, such as fibrous felt saturated with asphalt, is, in the preferred form of theinvention, secured to the undersurface of the shingle body preferably by the cementitious constituent of the body portion. The backing or reinforcing strip i2 preferably completely covers the undersurface of the shingle body and extends into the grooves thereof. The upper-face of the shingle is preferably provided with a suitable weather-resistant and attractive covering l3 which may comprise a coating of an asphaltic material in which is embedded a surfacing as suitable comminuted grit material l4 such as crushed slate, crushed slag or the like. The asphaltic coating may well comprise an asphaltcement material deposited from an emulsion of asphalt in water in which has been. admixed a quantity of Portland cement or the like in the proportions by volume say of one part cement to one part of the emulsion. Alternatively a high melt-point asphalt may be employed for the coating. Other weather-resistant coverings may,

however, be used or where an asphalt of sufficiently high melting point is contained in the hardened plastic to provide a weather-resistant surface, no covering is necessary.

In a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the reinforcement of the plastic body portion 20 to prevent distortion thereof is provided by a sheet 23 of facing material secured to the upper surface of the plastic body. Sheet material comprising asphalt saturated felt carrying a coating Not a high melting point asphalt or an asphalt-"cement composition deposited from an aqueous emulsion ofthe type referred to above and surfaced with a comminuted 8r1t=25such as crushed slate is preferably employed for the facing indicated at 45.

sheet and a backing sheet of the types referred to above, if desired.

In the construction of the shingles of the present invention, I preferably first form a homogeneous plastic mass of bituminous material, such as asphalt of say from 140 to 280 F. melt-point. and hardening fillers, the mixture being worked up and brought to the desired consistency in any suitable form of kneading mechanism. As herei tofore stated, prepared asphalt roofing scrap may be employed for this purpose, combined, if desired, with further quantities of the bituminous material and/or fiber and other fillers, such as slate dust, talc, mica, cork, cork dust and the like. The plastic material prepared in this manner is fed from a suitable storage supply 33 (see Fig. 4) in a continuous flow through an extrusion nozzle 34 and between the opposing surfaces of a pair of co-operating forming rolls and 3| mounted for rotation at equal peripheral speeds in the directions indicated by the arrows upon parallel shafts 39 and 40 respectively. These rolls may be driven from any convenient source of power (not shown). The roll 30 is provided with a substantially smooth surface and the co-operating roll To produce shingles of the type depicted in Figs. 1 and 2, a reel 35 is provided upon which is placed a supply of a suitable backing material 36 such as asphalt saturated felt. The felt .is extended from the reel and passed around the roll 3| as shown. Between the reel 35 and the point where the backing material enters the bight between the forming rolls 30 and 3| a toothed press roll 43 may be provided, the press roll being urged into contact with the roll 3| by suitable yieldable means such as the mount- The. roll 43 is positively driven from a suitable source of power (not shown) and preferably extends the length of the forming roll 3|. The spacingof the teeth 44 on the roll 43 and the speed of rotation of the roll are made such that the teeth enter or mesh with the grooves 4| in the forming roll. The teeth 44 are preferably composed of, or faced with, soft rubber or like resilient material. Due to the yieldable character of the teeth 44 and of the mounting 45 for the roll 43, each tooth will, as it enters a groove 4|, force the backing sheet to the bottom of the groove and hold it there during sufficient rotational movement of the rolls to permit a next following tooth to bind the backing sheet in the next following groove. Thus the amount of backing material required to permit it to lie in the bottoms of the grooves will be withdrawn from the reel 35 and the material will lie loosely in the grooves as they successively approach the bight between the forming rolls. Hence slipping of the backing sheet relatively to the plastic or stretching of the same,

as would result from forcing the backing sheet to the bottom of the grooves by the plastic alone, is avoided.

The plastic material forming the body portion of the shingles is, as previously stated. fed from the storage supply 33 between the opposing surfaces of the rolls 30 and 3| where it is compressed and forced into contact with the backing material 35, the latter lying loosely in the grooves 4| of the roll 3|. -As the plastic mass and backing material are fed between the rolls 30 and 3|, they are molded into the form illustrated for the undersurface of the shingle of Fig. 1, and, due to the asphaltic constituent of the plastic material, the backing sheet is adhered to the surface of the plastic sheet being formed. Water spraying means 46 and 41 may be provided for the rolls 30 and 3| to cool the same and to prevent the plastic material and the backing sheet respectively, from sticking to the rolls. The circumferential extent of the rolls 3|] and 3| is preferably made equal to the length of two shingles. Assuming the rotation of the forming rolls to start when the points a and b respectively on their circumferences are at the bight between the rolls each revolution thereof produces a section of a continuous plastic sheet, the portions of the section formed by co-operation of the surface areas 11-1: and z-a of roll 3| withroll 30 being of ungrooved uniform thickness and the portions of the section formed by co-operation of the areas :c-y-z of roll 3| with roll 30 being of varying thickness from a minimum thickness at its ends to a maximum thickness at a line midway between its ends. It will be seen therefore that the formation of the grooves of successively diminishing depth results in simultaneously imparting to the shingle a cross section (lengthwise of the shingle) which is of tapering thickness measured from the outer surfaces of the ribs formed by the grooves. Each revolution of the roll will thus provide two body portions having transverse grooves therein and a backing member secured to the body portions and extending into the grooves. By this manner of operation, the portions of the shingles extending from the grooves of minimum depth to their upper ends will be uniform in thickness. If desired, however, this portion of the shingle may also be tapered by proper shaping of the portions 0-3: and a-z of roll 3| as will be readily apparent.

One of the forming rolls 30 or 3| and preferably the roll 30 may be provided with suitable cut-ofi knives l9 and 50. The knives extend lengthwise on the roll and are so located thereon that they will enter the forming plastic sheet on lines opposite the points a and y of roll 3|. The knives are constructed to partially but not completely sever the combined plastic and backing sheet. Fonexample, the depths of the same may be made such that their cutting edges will be slightly spaced from the roll 3| when the knives areat the bight between the rolls to leave an unsevered connecting portion of the backing sheet. The cutting edges of the knives may also be of serrated or similar form to partially cut through the thickness of the sheet and to provide a line of perforations through the remaining portion of the thickness thereof.

Instead of cutting knives on a single roll as illustrated in Fig. 4, knives on both rolls may be employed which co-operate in. the partial cutting of the sheet. In this case the knives 49 and 50 on roll 30 will be made of approximately onehalf the depth shown in Fig. 4 and similar blades provided at corresponding points on roll 3|. The combined depths of the blades will be less than the thickness of the sheet or their edges will be plicator passes beneath a. hopper 60, or series of serrated in such a manner as to leave 9. connecting web between adjacent shingle sections.

The plasticvsheet thus formed with its adhesively secured backing member and preferably comprising individual shingle sections secured together in the sheet by the readily tearable connecting webs left by the knives 49 and 5|], is supported by a suitable means such as the endless belt 5| carried by pulleys or the like 52. The endless belt is driven in such a manner as to have the upper reach thereof travelling at a speed equal to; the speed of the plastic sheet as it leaves the forming rolls and in the direction of the travel of the sheet.

In order to maintain the plastic mass in a suitable plastic condition for the extrusion and forming operations thereon, it is necessary that it be at a high temperature. The mastic sheet after it leaves the forming rolls retains a substantial quantity of this heat and suitable cooling means for the sheet is advantageously provided at this point. The cooling means as indicated in Fig. 4 may comprise a series-of spray nozzles 53 connected to a header .or headers 54 supplied with water from some suitable source. A second series of spray nozzles 55 connected to a header 56 may also be provided to direct a cooling spray against the undersurface of the sheet. The spray nozzles 55 are located between the upper and lower reaches of the belt 5| which is made of a foraminous or other open construction and the spray from the nozzles is directed through the belt and against the backing member on the plastic sheet. It will be readily apparent that other cooling mediums may be used in place of the water spray.

For example, air jets similarly located may be employed. No special cooling means need be provided, however, if a sufiicient length of the sheet, after it leaves the forming rolls, is left exposed to the normal cooling effects of the surrounding air before subsequent operations are performed thereon.

Supported above the plastic sheet in any desired manner there is provided a coating applicator 51 which may comprise an applying roll 58 rotating in contact with the upper surface of the sheet and a coating supply tank 59 from which a layer of the coating material is picked up by the surface of the roll 58 and applied to the surface of the sheet.

The coating material thus employed may be a high melt-point asphalt in molten and readily fiowable condition. An emulsion of asphalt in water may also be employed as the coating mate-' rial. Where an emulsion coating is employed, it is preferably prepared by intermixing in an asphalt emulsion, in which a clay, e. g. bentonite preferably constitutes the dispersing medium, a quantity of a suitable weighting or body imparting material such as Portland cement. The proportion of cement employed may be such as to provide a coating of a desired consistency and may he, say, approximately equal in volume to the asphalt emulsion. An emulsion coating material of this type exhibits the advantages that inasmuch as it is applied in a cold state it serves as an additional cooling medium for the plastic sheet.

at this point, serves to drive off, or to substantially aid in driving off, the aqueous phase of the emulsion to deposit therefrom an asphalt cement layer of high resistance to flow under heat.

' The mastic sheet after leaving the coating ap- Furthermore, the heatgiven off by the plastic material, which is not completely cooled hoppers, of any suitable construction which contain a comminuted grit material such as crushed slate or the like of any desired color. The comminuted grit is showered upon the coated sheet surface while the coating is in a plastic state and is partially embedded therein by a suitable means. The embedding means may, as shown,

comprise a roller 6|, yieldably mounted as at 62' to rise and fall as is necessary to follow the variations in the thickness of the sheet, co-operating with an underlying roll which may preferably comprise the end pulley 52 which supports the belt I The coated and surfaced plastic sheet after leaving the embedding rolls and after having its edges trimmed, if necessary, by any suitable means (not shown) passes to a second conveyor which may comprise a belt 63 supported on pulleys 64. The belt 63 is driven at aspeed greater than that of the belt 5| to provide a sufficient pull on the sheet to separate the same into individual shingle sections along the weakened lines created by the knives 49 and 50. A similar belt may be provided above the plastic sheet with its lower reach in contact with the plastic sheet and traveling in the direction and at the speed of the upper reach of belt 63 to insure separation of the sheet 'particularly if connecting webs of substantial thickness are provided between the individual shinglesections. Shingles formed inthe above manner will be of the construction depicted in Figs. 1 and 2.

The forming rolls 30 and 3| may be made of a length to provide but a single shingle width as has been considered to be the case above, or they may be made of such length as to provide a multiplicity of shingle widths. In the latter event, slitting rolls or knives are provided located at a point in the operations on the sheet after the coating and surfacing thereof to sever the sheet into strips of single shingle widths.

To construct a shingle of the type illustrated in Fig. 3, a modified formof the apparatus is employed as depicted in Fig. 5. The apparatus comprises co-operating forming rolls 65 and 66 rotatably mounted on shafts 61 and 68. The roll 65 is provided with a substantially smooth surface and the co-operating roll 66 is provided with a series of spaced parallel grooves extending longitudinally thereof, the rolls 65 and 66 in these respects being the counterparts of rolls 30 and 3i of the apparatus of Fig. 4. A reel 10 is located, adjacent the forming roll 65, the reel containing a supply of a suitable facing material such as asphalt saturated felt H. The felt facing may, if desired, carry a pre-applied high melt-point asphalt, or a layer of asphalt-cement mixture deposited'from an aqueous dispersion of asphalt of the type previously referred to, surfaced with a mineral grit. The sheet is fed from the reel 10 aroundthe forming roll 65 in such a manner that it lies between the roll 65 and the plastic material fed from the supply 33. The sheet II is thus forced onto the plastic sheet as it is formed and is secured thereto by the adhesive constituent of the plastic material. Cutting knives I2 and 13 are, in this form of the apparatus, preferably provided on the grooved forming roll 66, the blades being located in the deepest groove and midway of the ungrooved area of the roll respectively. The knives, as before, are of such width as to cut substantially through the sheet and facing member whereby a series of interconnected but readily separable shingle elements are provided by the forming rolls. However, they may be of such width as to completely sever the sheet into individual elements, for example where a facing sheet carrying a preapplied coating and surfacing is provided and no subsequent slitting is required. In the latter case the shafts of the forming rolls are preferably in a horizontal plane rather than as shown and the plastic supply is placed thereabove. Otherwise the sheet of interconnected shingle elements passes from the forming rolls to a supporting belt and to coating, surfacing and separating devices as disclosed in Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will be apparent to one skilled in the .art that these details need not be strictly adhered to, but that various changes and modiilcations may readily suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The term .{shingle is used herein in a broad sense and is;

intended to include strip shingles and-similar roofing or siding elements as well as individual shingles.

What I claim is:

1. A roofing element of the character de; scribed comprising a body portion of hardened" portion. i

2.'A roofing element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the undersurface of said body portion being formed with a plurality of transversely extending grooves, a backing sheet secured to the undersurface of said body portion and extending into said grooves and a weather-resistant material on the upper surface of said body portion.

3. A roofing element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the undersurface of said body portion being formed with a plurality of transversely extending grooves and a reinforcing sheet carrying a weather-resistant coating and a surfacing of a mineral grit secured to the upper surface of said body portion.

4. A roofing element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the undersurface of said body portion being formed with a plurality of transversely extending grooves, a reinforcing sheet secured to one surface of said body portion and a weather-resistant material comprising a coating deposited from an aqueous emulsion of asphalt containing Portland cement and a comminuted material partially embedded therein on the upper surface of the element.

5', A roofing element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the body portion tapering in cross section from a relatively thick butt end to a relatively thin upper end, the underside of said body portion being formed with a plurality of grooves extending transversely of the body portion, the grooves progressively decreasing in depth from said butt end of the shingle to a point adjacent the upper end of the shingle.

6. A roofing element of the character de- HADES! scribed comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the body portion tapering in cross section from a relatively thick butt end to a relatively thin upper end, the underside of said body portion being formed with a plurality of grooves extending transversely of the body portion, the grooves progressively decreasing in depth from said butt end or the shingle to a point adjacent the upper end of the shingle, .and a sheet of backing material secured to sue body portion on the underside thereof and extending into said grooves.

'7. A roofing element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composed of bituminous material and hardening fillers, the body portion tapering in cross section from a relatively thick butt end to a relatively thin upper end, the underside of said body portion being formed with a plurality of grooves extending transversely of the body portion, the grooves progrvely detion.

creasing in depth from said butt end of the shingle to a point adjacent the upper end of the shingle, and a fibrous facing sheet adhesively secured to the upper surface of said body por- 8. A rooiin g.element of the character described comprising a body portion of hardened plastic material composedjof bituminous material and hardening fillers, the body portion tapering incross's'ection from a relatively thick butt end to a relatively thin upper end, the underside of said body portion being formed with a plurality of groovesextending transversely of the body portion, the grooves progressively decreasing in depth from said butt end of the shingle toa point adjacent the upper end of the shingle, and a fibrous i'acing sheet carrying a coating of asphalt and a surfacing of mineral grit secured to theupper surface of the body portion.-

LESTER 1 i 

